Why This Timeless Gift Will Make Your Mother’s Heart Soar Forever

The best gift I ever gave to my mother was a tribute letter, which I read in front of our family.

That moment sealed a reconciliation twenty years earlier on a three-hour drive from San Antonio to Waco.

Mother’s outstanding qualities were wrapped inside a volatile temper.

Unforgiveness locked my spirit for years.

But a liberating three-hour drive from San Antonio to Waco broke the logjam of hurt and set us on the path to a good relationship.

Here’s how the drive unfolded.

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Why This Timeless Gift Will Make Your Mother’s Heart Soar Forever

A good father reveals three secrets for surviving disasters

Nothing like being a father.

I always knew Father’s Day was coming when Jack was little, because he would ask me what size cologne I wear.

Father and son
Steve and Jack Blaising at the Blaising farm December 2017/Kate Blaising

When I was raising teenagers, I had a satellite TV, a smartphone and a laptop and my kids told me I was out of touch.

Somebody said a father is a man with pictures in his wallet, where his money used to be.

Jokes aside, fathers are the ones we consult when unnatural disasters like war or mass shootings shake the world.

Since the Ukraine and Gaza wars are rattling our souls, I thought it appropriate to share my dad’s old school advice for surviving chaos.

My father at 93
Dad at his farm in Riesel, TX 2017/Kate Blaising

All his tips came on a filming trip to San Antonio by dad’s childhood landmarks.

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A good father reveals three secrets for surviving disasters

Dump Everyday Doldrums With a New Song for Joy

Add joy to your soul with a new music venue.

I ordered a Jean Paul alto saxophone a week before Thanksgiving, wondering if I would remember the keys, let alone read and play music.

But, the spark to play was ignited by a desire to do something new and fresh for myself, my family, and my friends.

Through an app called Tomplay, I found terrific music and accompaniment for a holiday playlist.

  • What a Wonderful World
  • Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
  • Never My Love
  • Swan Lake-Tchaikovsky

Merriment surrounded us before Thanksgiving dinner.

My 18-month-old grandnephew was swaying while family and friends were smiling.

Then, I started thinking about how joy is launched by playing a new song.

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Dump Everyday Doldrums With a New Song for Joy

Boost Your Infrastructure This Holiday Season With Two Words

The President signed a $1,200,000,000,000 infrastructure bill into law.

Why not sign your own “roads and bridges” bill?

Infrastructure for the soul
Under the Morning Glory Natural Bridge near Moab, Utah/Photo by Bridget Guthrie

Two words build bridges into the richest resources.

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Boost Your Infrastructure This Holiday Season With Two Words